Page 25 of The Journey of a Lifetime (Tiny Homes and Happy Tails #2)

“ W hat do you think about staying another day?” Maggie asked Cindy over the campfire.

Cindy sat up straight in her chair and frowned. “For what? I thought you were eager to get to Estes Park?”

Maggie shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean this is supposed to be a road trip, and I feel like it’s going by too fast. I mean the journey is half the fun, right?”

Cindy gazed thoughtfully into the flames. “I wonder what Tony is doing? I bet he’s mad that I didn’t stay and wait for him.”

Maggie pressed her lips into a thin line. Tony was looking for Cindy. And when he found her it wasn’t going to be good.

“I was looking online to see what we could do tomorrow. I found this Old Cowtown Museum that has a historical re-created town, you know, like the old west. It’s about twenty acres.”

Cindy tugged on her bottom lip with her teeth. “What about Walker? We can’t just leave him behind?”

Maggie brightened. “They allow dogs, so he can come with us. I bet he’ll enjoy it too. What do you say?”

Cindy shifted in her seat. “I don’t know. I hate to keep letting you pay for stuff. I wish there was some way I could pay you back.”

Maggie smiled. “Come on, don’t you want to see a real-life cowboy town? Imagine what it was like living back then. No electricity, no cars, no drive throughs!”

This brought a smile from Cindy. “Santa brought me a cowboy hat one year. I was five and wore that hat everywhere.” Cindy relaxed in her seat with a far off look in her eyes as she thought about her past. “Christmases were the best at our house. We always had everyone over on Christmas morning. There were tons of food and presents. I could remember falling asleep in the middle of the pile of wrapping paper while the adults played cards.”

Maggie felt a twinge of envy as Cindy spoke about her memories.

While she never lacked for anything, Christmases were always a ritual.

She’d open her gifts on Christmas morning, followed by tidying up the house and removing all the wrapping paper for a photo that her mom would insist on right before dinner.

Her mom loved posting pictures of the perfect Christmas filled with presents and perfectly set dining room table.

Maggie always felt like something was missing and always hoped the next Christmas would hold that Christmas magic she was looking for.

“I think you’re right. I think Walker would like to see the Cowtown Museum.” Her eyes widened. “I wonder if they have real horses. I bet Walker would love to see a horse.”

Maggie glanced down at Walker who was lying at her feet.

His head perked up when he heard his name.

She nodded. “I bet he would love that too. So, since we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, we should get to bed.” She glanced over at the tent by the van.

After a dinner of leftovers, she had helped Cindy set up the tent for the night.

“Are you sure you want to sleep in the tent?”

Cindy’s eyes widened with excitement. “Absolutely. Do you mind if Walker sleeps with me? Just to ward off any snakes.”

Maggie laughed. “Of course. But I would be more worried about a squirrel than a snake.”

Cindy stood and reached for Walker’s leash. “I grew up in the country. I can sleep with a squirrel. Never a snake.” She gave a gentle pull on the leash and Walker followed close.

Maggie looked back at the fire.

Sleeping with a snake.

Those words drifted through her mind. It was funny. The longer she was away from Mason, the less stress she felt. Shouldn’t she be absolutely devastated over losing Mason? Did that make her a bad person that she was feeling free for the first time in her life?

Shaking her head, she stood up and stretched her arms over her head. She needed to make sure the coffeepot was ready for the morning and check the website for tickets to the museum.

She looked forward to sleeping in her bed tonight. She looked over at Walker and Cindy near a big oak tree.

Maggie watched as Cindy’s smile grew. She was animatedly talking to Walker, probably about sleeping together in the tent.

It was Cindy’s wide-eyed optimism that Maggie wished she had. Maybe with a few more miles between her and home, she would discover it along their journey.